Control of vaporization of solidified hydrocarbon fuel or the like



June 29, 1965 R. E. KRUCK CONTROL OF VAPORIZATION OF SOLIDIFIED HYDROCARBON FUEL OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1963 INVENTOR.

RALPH E. KRUCK ATTORNEY.

n June 49, 1965 R. E. KRUCK 3,191,593

CONTROL OF VAPORIZATION OF SOLIDIFIED HYDROCARBON FUEL OR THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN TOR RALPH E. KRUCK ATTORNEY.

IHI 180 Q) June 29, 1965 CONTROL OF VAPORIZATION 0F sommrmn HYDRQCARBON FUEL OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 29, 1963 INVENTOR.

RALPH E. KRUCK ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,191,593 CONTROL OF VAPOREZATION 0F SOLIDIFIED HYDROCARBON FUEL OR THE LIKE Ralph E. Kruclr, Blaisdell Point, Clinton, Conn. Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,336 3 Claims. (Cl. 12644) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in apparatus for effecting the control of vaporization of solidified hydrocarbon fuel or the like.

It will be helpful to an understanding of the invention first to briefly consider some of the essential points and more important features and aspects thereof, so that same may be kept in mind during subsequent reading of the detailed description of the practical embodiments of my improvements and illustrations thereof in the hereunto annexed drawings.

Accordingly, it is first to be noted that heat resulting from igniting fuel in a perforated sleeve type burner generates vapors which, upon passage through the burner, mix with a predetermined quantity of air to produce a clean blue flame.

It is characteristic of a burner of such perforated sleeve type to utilize vapors generated by the heat of the burner, while the fuel itself, immediately following ignition, does not burn. Hence, a control of the flame envisages the dual functions of modifying fuel vaporization and of restraining the vapors to assure safe and functionally responsive burner operation.

In order to accomplish these desiderata, a control must progressively remove the fuel from the heat source (i.e. the burner), to reduce vapor manufacture, while concomitantly progressively withholding vapor flow to the burner.

I have found that this latter function is dependent upon providing an adequate sealing means, capable of blocking the passage of vapors to the burner, and equally capable of precluding the escape of such vapors to atmosphere,'all to the end of obtaining safe and effective burner operation.

The heretofore known prior art shutter type controls all have certain notoriously common and obvious objections in that they do not perform satisfactorily in the essential dual-function of reducing the manufacture of undesirable excesses of vapors and preventing their flow to the burner and to the atmosphere, wherefore difficulties are encountered when it is desired to extinguish the burner flame, and hazardous conditions are created clue to vapor leakage which is liable to ignite explosively, problems which have been accentuated by the movable shutter located between a fixed burner and a fixed fuel source. Such arrangement relies on means by which the shutter is movable between two opposed metal plates incorporating a passageway therethrough. One plate carries the burner and the other carries the fuel container in fixed communication with the burner by way of the said passageway. The maintenance of sufficient dimensional clearance between the planar surfaces of the shutter and the opposing carrying plates is a prerequisite to a freelymoving shutter, but disadvantageously, this clearance mitigates against control of vapor leakage. Additionally, the maintenance of such a minimum dimensional clearance is impractical to achieve in actual manufacture, not to mention its difficulty in maintenance when the parts are subjected to heat stress. Distortion and subsequent misalignment of the shutter and carrying plates causes the shutter to jam or to move with difiiculty, wherefore abrasion and galling of the sliding surfaces inevitably results. Subsequent misalignment further destroys the essential functional requirement of flame extinguishment.

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The exposure of the fuel to burner generated heat is essential for the generation of vapors during burner operation; however, it is undesirable to continue this exposure after the burner has been extinguished. The generation of vapors which are no longer required must be prevented. Otherwise, these unused vapors jeopardize operational safety through leakage to the atmosphere.

In contradistinction, I have devised novel means whereby these aforestated difficulties and objections are overcome inclusive of the provision of a device which obviates the aforesaid objectionable inconveniences and balances the generation of vapors to a desired volume and passes only such of the vapors as are required exclusively by the burnerjfor admixture with air to the end of producing the proper flame.

' Accordingly, it may be set forth as an object of the invention to teach improvements in the art which, on the basis of the factors involved, are capable of solving the itemized difficulties of the earlier known devices.

Without intending to place undue limitations upon the scope .of the invention beyond what may be required by the state of the art, the particular embodiments may be briefly described as embracing a flame controlling device within a combustion chamber which is practical in its manufacture and economical in its construction,

, and which has given unerring performance during exhaustive testing.

The invention comprehends a particular construction, arrangement, combination, and relationship of the various elements, components and instrumentalities of a device for controlling the flame in a combustion chamber as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure wherein the defined objects will be apparent.

Further, while the components are uniquely compact, they are neverthelessreadily accessible for maintenance and replacement purposes with a consequent reduction in maintenance costs over related devices heretofore known.

To provide apparatus which effectively meets the requirements therefor and perform its functions in a practical and dependable manner is among the dominant aims of this invention, although it may be noted that certain features herein set forth are of advantage in other relations.

As a further refinement of the present invention, I provide a structure wherein the unique features of design are inconspicuous and non-observable by the average eye so that the average user is not made aware thereof.

Other of the chief objects and purposes hereof are to provide advantageous structural and operational features in a device of the class to which reference has been made so as to offer an apparatus having the following inherent meritorious characteristics; first, engineeringwise, a uniqueness in design of coating parts wherefore the components are coordinated for facile assembly and, when once assembled, are positively and securely retained in operative relationship so as to be not readily separable from each other, accidentally or otherwise; second, a susceptibility to easy installation; third, a high degree of safety in its use; fourth, a high degree of efficiency and dependability in its operational use; fifth, the provision of a construction which is well adapted to withstand the usage to which such burner control apparatus is ordinarily subjected; and sixth, the provision of such other improvements in and relating to burner controls of the type above referred to as are hereinafter described and claimed statutes and are given with a view to illustrating and explaining the precise nature of the principles of the invention and their embodiment for practical use, in order that others, skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, may be enabled to adapt and modify them in numerous variations and modifications, each as may be best adapted to the conditions of any particular use.

The invention reverted to is not restricted or confined to said embodiments and same are not intended to be exhaustive of, nor limiting of, the spirit or scope hereof. That is, the precise construction .of the figures of the drawings need not be slavishly followed and adaptations and/ or alternative constructions and/or further modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and purview and range of equivalence of the below subioined claims, there being no intent to have this invention limited to or circumscribed by any specific details. The characteristic features which I consider to be novel with my invention, as to its construction and organization and as to its methods of manufacture and operation, will be better understood from a consideration of the following detailed description forming a part of this specification, when read in conjunction with the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are employed to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camp stove embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through one of the burners of the stove of FIG. 1 and showing the control means of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the control means of FIG. 2; I

- FIG 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a yacht stove embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view thereof with parts of the control means having been shown in section for purposes of clarity; and V FIG.6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional and elevational view of the control means of the invention.

In the following description and appended claims, various component-s and details thereof will be identified by specific names for purposes of convenience, such being used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, it not being intended to exclude any reasonable equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof.

With continued reference now to the drawings, which form a part of this specification, I have shown, in FIG. 1, a camp stove in order that the general relation of the components and the utility of the device may be understood. While a multi-burner stove has been illustrated, it will be understood that the principles of the invention may be applied with equal facility to a one-burner stove.

The stove will comprise an outer housing or shell, generally indicated by 10, divided into upper and lower horizontally-extending substantially-enclosed compartments 12 and 14 respectively, an upper deck 13 of upper compartment 12 having wells 16 therethrough to accommodate sleeve-type burners 18 of usual construction. Lower compartment 14 will carry the fuel supply and control means of the invention, subsequently to be described.

A horizontally-extending grate 20 may be conveniently disposed above upper compartment 12 and in spaced co-' planar relationship therewith so as to be disposed above burners 18. Grate 20 may be hingedly connected to said upper compartment 12 as by upstanding brackets 21 and hinges 22. a

Refueling openings 24 are provided in an upper deck 26 of lower compartment 14', said openings being normally closed by closure members 28 hinged to said upper deck.

, Openings-30 and 32,- provided in a forward wall 34 of upper compartment 12 and in burner 18 respectively t allow manual insertion of a match or other fuel igniting means therethrough and into the burner area after a closure member 36 hinged to burner 18 and normally covering opening 32 has been raised.

Opening 32 is disposed on one side of the outer cylinder of burner 18 and in close proximity to the lower edge thereof thereby giving ready access to the fuel for insertion of and lighting by a match. Closure member 35 effectively seals opening 32 immediately following lighting of the fuel.

An opening it? is provided in upper deck 26 of lower compartment 14, said opening being substantially equal in size and configuration to the periphery of the lower edge of burner 18 and being disposed immediately below said burner. Opening 46 incorporates an upper annular rim 52 to which the lower edge of burner 18 may be secured as by spot welding or the like.

A disk gasket 54?, fabricated from a heat and flame resistant flexible material in the nature of asbestos packing sheet or coated fiber glass sheet or equivalent, and having an opening 52 therein generally corresponding in size and configuration to opening 4t? in upper deck 26, is pivotally secured on its axis at 54 to the lower planar face of upper deck 26 and is supported in close surface alignment to said lower planar face by means of a supporting disk 6%, also pivotally secured on its axis at 54 to the lower planar face of disk gasket 50. Supporting disk 60 incorporates an opening 62 therein in registration with openings 52 and 4th in disk gasket dtl and upper deck 26 respectively, but is of slightly larger diameter than said openings 52 and 4%). Opening 62 in supporting disc 60 includes a downwardly-depending peripheral flange 64 adapted to sleeve a fuel receptacle 70 resiliently supported in lower compartment 14 and having its open upper end communicating with openings 52 and 40 in disk gasket 50 and upper deck 26 respectively.

' Fuel receptacle 76 is held in firm engagement with disk gasket 50 by a spring member '72 fixed to a Z-shaped bracket 74 secured to the lower planar surface of sup porting disk 60 as by rivets 76. Spring member 72 engages the closed lower end of fuel receptacle '70 to urge the receptacle upwardly into sealing engagement with disk gasket 50. p Y

The upper end of fuel receptacle 7t) freely passes through opening 62 in supporting disk 60, securing the receptacle against lateral dislodgement and causing the upper edge of receptacle '76 to seal against flexible disk gasket St) to create a sliding seal between said disk gasket and the underside of upper deck 26.

A transversely-extending manually operable control lever 80 is pivotally secured at one end at 82 to a flange 84 provided on a rear wall 86 of lower compartment 14 and extends generally in a front-to-rear direction relative to said lower compartment.

Control lever 80 has an upturned outer free end 88 to provide a convenient finger grip for manipulation of the lever.

Control lever 80 is longitudinally-slotted at 90 approximately centrally of its length and below bracket 74, said slot 90 being adapted to slideably receive therein the shank of a pin 92 fixed to bracket 74 and extending downwardly therefrom.

As control lever 80 is rotated on its pivot 82, it exerts a lateral force on pin 92 causing supporting disk 60 and disk gasket 5th to rotate on pivot 54, thereby carrying fuel receptacle 70 away from opening 40 in upper deck 26 and out of the burner area, with disk gasket 50 then ef fectively sealing off said opening 40, wherefore the flame in the burner is extinguished.

Disk gasket 50, supporting disk 60 and fuel receptacle 70, may be rotated about pivot 54 through varying degrees of rotation away from burner opening 40 in upper deck 26 until the burner opening is completely sealed and the flame becomes extinguished.

. The use of the resilient disk gasket in combination with the resilient mounting of the fuel container provides means by which a self adjusting seal is maintained through out the rotating movement of the vapor controlling means.

The disk gasket provides a non-galling low frictional sliding surface seal and acts as an insulating medium between upper deck 26, to which the burner is mounted, and the supporting disk and fuel receptacle assembly.

The rotation of the disks carries the fuel away from the heat of the burner, thereby quickly reducing the generation of vapors.

Rotation of control lever 80 carries fuel receptacle 70 to the front portion of the stove at which point the flame in the burner becomes extinguished, wherefore the receptacle can now be safely refueled, it now being disposed immediately below refueling opening 24 in upper deck 26.

In the stove of FIG. 1, receptacle 70 contains a low density absorbent material for storage of liquid fuel, wherefore the receptacle may be refueled without removing it from the stove.

It should be noted that, during the operation of the stove, this filler hole 24 remains sealed by disk gasket 50 and the stove cannot be refueled during burner operation.

Closure 28 provided over filler hole 24 prevents fuel evaporation when the burner is not operating.

In certain applications of this invention, such as in heaters, it may be desirable to provide longer burning time. Hence means may be provided to increase fuel capacity. With such an arrangement, not shown, the disk gasket and supporting disk will remain as hereinbefore described. The fuel receptacle however, will be axially supported by the pivot and the upper peripheral edge of the receptacle held in sealing engagement against the supporting disk adjacent its peripheral edge. An annular spring member may be secured to the pivot to create a self-adjusting seal between the gasket and the mounting plate in the same manner as the smaller fuel receptacle hereinbefore described. An absorbent material may be placed in the receptacle and when the burner is extinguished the receptacle may be fueled through the filler hole in the upper deck of the lower compartment.

In the yacht stove embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a container of solidified hydro-carbon fuel is employed. With this solid type fuel, the container must be removed and replaced to refuel the stove.

In this embodiment, which is basically similar in construction to the stove of FIG. 1, and includes an outer housing or shell 1% having upper and lower compartments 112 and 114 respectively, the front wall of the lower compartment 114 is provided with a front opening 124 to permit removal of a fuel container 170 from the stove. Front opening 124 willbe normally closed by a closure member 128 hinged to the front wall of lower compartment 114.

Fuel container 170 is resiliently supported against a disk gasket 15% pivoted at 1'54 to upper deck 126 of lower compartment 114 by a spring member 172 fixed to a bracket 174 secured to a supporting disk 160.

A control lever 180, identical to control lever 80 of FIGS. 1-3, is pivoted to lower compartment 114 at 182 and is slotted to accommodate the shank of a pin 192 extending downwardly from bracket 174.

Manipulation of control lever 180 carries fuel container 170 to the front portion of the stove, wherefore it may be conveniently removed through front opening 124 simply by depressing spring member 172.

It will be noted that, when the stove is in use, bracket 174 is carried away from front opening 124 effectively preventing removal of container 170 while the burner is in operation.

Bracket 174 is supported at pivot 154 and keyed to supporting disk 160 at 162 for rotational movement with said disk.

As still another alternative method, not shown, a disk dimensionally equivalent to the hereinbefore described supporting disk and fabricated either from metal coated on one side for low frictional surface engagement, or from a high temperature flame resistant plastic material, may have a formed resilient gasket secured to its underside around the burner hole opening. An opening in said gasket smaller than the opening in said disk will provide means by which the gasket around its hole may be formed upwardly to provide a cavity in which the fuel receptacle is positioned, thereby providing a sliding sealing engagement between the gasket and the mounting plate in the same manner as hereinbefore described.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the ones explained, change being made as regards the mechanisms herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means he employed.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided truly novel means for effecting the control of vaporization of hydrocarbon fuel.

It is believed that the gist of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further analysis thereof at this point is considered unnecessary, as I have, in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, described the construc tion and principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I believe to represent the best embodiments thereof, to the end that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications Without omitting features which, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of its generic and/or specific aspects.

The protection which is sought for this invention is covered by the language of the above specification and the spirit represented thereby.

The claims are desired to include within the scope thereof all of said suitable variations, modifications and equivalents by which substantially the results of the invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent devices or means. Accordingly, limi tation hereof should only be made as determined by a proper interpretation of the prior art and the scope of the subjoined claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent herein as broadly as possible.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a perforated sleeve type burner of the normally liquid solidified fuel-burning type fixed relative to a housing and defining a combustion space for receiving upwardly issuing vaporized fuel, the improvement in a device for selectively controlling combustion of vaporized fuel in the burner comprising, a fuel receptacle, a retain ing plate supported by and movable relative to the housing, gasket means secured to said retaining plate in bearing contact with the housing, resilient means carried by said retaining plate for supporting and upwardly urging said fuel receptacle into sealing relation with said gasket means and precluding the escape of vaporized fuel to atmosphere, said gasket means and retaining plate each having openings therethrough for the passage of vaporized fuel from said fuel receptacle to the burner, and manually-operable control means for moving said gasket means and retaining plate and fuel receptacle unisonly relative to the burner and transversely of the upwardly issuing vaporized fuel between a closed position in which said fuel receptacle is closed off from the burner for blocking the passage of vaporized fuel to the burner and a multiplicity of opened positions in which said fuel receptacle is in communication with the burner for the selectively controlled passage of vaporized fuel to the burner.

2. In a perforated sleeve type burner of the normally liquid solidified fuel-burning type in fixed communication with an aperture in a housing and defining a combustion space for receiving upwardly issuing vaporized fuel, the improvement in a control structure being movable relative to the burner between burner operative and burner non-operative positions for selective control of combustion in the burner comprising, an apertured fuel receptacle, an apertured supporting disc rotationally secured to the housing, an apertured seal secured to said supporting disc, and a resilient fuel receptacle support fixed relative to said supporting .disc urging said fuel receptacle upwardly into sealing engagement with said seal, and manually operable control means for rotating said seal and resilient fuel receptacle support and supporting disc and fuel receptacle unisonly relative to the burner and transversely of the upwardly issuing vaporized fuel, the apertures of said fuel receptacle and supporting disc and seal being in fixed registration with each other and being unisonly movable by said control means into variable degrees of registration With the aperture of the housing for defining the burner operative position of communication between said fuel receptacle and the burner and into nonregistration with the aperture of the housing for defining the burner non-operative position. 7

3. In combination a perforated sleeve type burner of the normally liquid solidified fuel type. a housing to which the burner is fixed and having an aperture therethrough in fixed relation to the combustion space of the burner, a fuel receptacle within said housing, a retaining disc rotationally secured to said housing, a sealing means fixed to said retaining disc, resilient means fixed to said retaining disc and supporting said fuel receptacle in upwardly urging manner into sealin relation with said sealing means, said fuel receptacle and sealing means and retaining disc each having an opening therethrough with the openings being in fixed registration with each other, means for unisonly rotating said fuel receptacle and sealing means and retaining disc between primary positions of registration of the openings of said fuel receptacle and sealing means and retaining disc with the aperture of said housing for defining a vapor flow passage from said fuel receptacle to the combustion. space of the burner during the periods of communication between said fuel receptacle and the burner and secondary positions of non-registration with the aperture of said housing for defining a nonoperative position in which said fuel receptacle is closed off from communication with the burner.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,356,788 8/44 Herron 126-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 103,419 1/17 Great Britain,"

JAMES-w. WESTHA-VER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PERFORATED SLEEVE TYPE BURNER OF THE NORMALLY LIQUID SOLIDIFIED FUEL-BURNING TYPE FIXED RELATIVE TO A HOUSING AND DEFINING A COMBUSTION SPACE FOR RECEIVING UPWARDLY ISSUING VAPORIZED FUEL, THE IMPROVEMENT IN A DEVICE FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING COMBUSTION OF VAPORIZED FUEL IN THE BURNER COMPRISING, A FUEL RECEPTACLE, A RETAINING PLATE SUPPORTED BY AND MOVABLE RELATIVE, TO THE HOUSING, GASKET MEANS SECURED TO SAID RETAINING PLATE IN BEARING CONTACT WITH THE HOUSING, RESILIENT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID RETAINING PLATE FOR SUPPORTING AND UPWARDLY URGING SAID FUEL RECEPTACLE INTO SEALING RELATATION WITH SAID GASKET MEANS AND PRECLUDING THE ESCAPE OF VAPORIZED FUEL TO ATMOSPHERE, SAID GASKET MEANS AND RETAINING PLATE EACH HAVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH FOR THE PASSAGE OF VAPORIZED FUEL FROM SAID FUEL RECEPTACLE TO THE BURNER, AND MANUALLY-OPERABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GASKET MEANS AND RETAINING PLATE AND FUEL RECEPTACLE UNISONLY RELATIVE TO THE BURNER AND TRANSVERSELY OF THE UPWARDLY ISSUING VAPORIZED FUEL BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH SAID FUEL RECEPTACLE IS CLOSED OFF FROM THE BURNER FOR BLOCKING THE PASSAGE OF VAPORIZED FUEL TO THE BURNER AND A MULTIPLICITY OF OPENED POSITIONS IN WHICH SAID FUEL RECEPTALCE IS IN COMMUNICTION WITH THE BURNER FOR THE SELECTIVELY CONTROLLED PASSAGE OF VARPORIZED FUEL TO THE BURNER. 